Vehicles include numerous structural members comprising the frame or body. Most of these structural members include an outer member and an inner member secured to the outer member, such as by welding, to define a hollow cavity between the outer and inner members. Such structural members on vehicles often include side sill members, cross beam members extending between the side sill members, vertical pillar members (e.g., A-pillar, B-pillar, etc.) and/or roof rail members, including those extending parallel to the side sill members and those extending laterally across the vehicle. One such laterally extending roof rail member is the front roof rail, which defines a forward-most and upward extent of the passenger compartment for the vehicle.
In assembled vehicles, there are often various objects or auxiliary components that are attached to the structural body of the vehicle. Typically, such auxiliary components are attached directly to the parts comprising the structural body using attachments that are applied during general assembly of the vehicle. Sometimes these auxiliary components need to exhibit particular deformation characteristics in order to increase occupant safety within the vehicle. Examples of these types of auxiliary components include sunvisors, grab handles, etc. To achieve the desired deformation characteristics, the auxiliary components are often connected to the structural body via a hat-bracket and/or using relief cutouts. Accordingly, if impact occurs with the auxiliary component, such as during a crash event, the auxiliary component can deform in a predetermined manner due to the hat-bracket, relief cutout or other feature. Sometimes, particular vehicle configurations are not suitable for use with hat-brackets and/or relief cutouts. For example, these may not allow for sufficient deformation, the mounting location may not be movable as may be required in order to use a hat-bracket and/or the cross section of the roof rail may be such that it cannot be reduced sufficiently to allow or accommodate the height of a conventional hat-type bracket.